1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a ceramic electronic component, such as a multilayer ceramic capacitor; particularly, the invention relates to a terminal-mounted ceramic electronic component that has outer terminals for mounting a substrate on a ceramic electronic component element.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typical ceramic electronic components or multilayer ceramic capacitors include a type which has a structure such as that shown in FIG. 5. The structure has multiple inner electrodes 52 opposing each other via a ceramic layer 51, one end of each of the electrodes extends, in alternating fashion, to opposite end surfaces of a ceramic electronic component element 54. The structure also has a pair of outer electrodes 53 arranged on opposite end surfaces so as to be electrically connected to exposed portions of the inner electrodes 52. In addition, the structure has outer terminals 55 formed by bent metal plates connected to the outer electrodes 53 by a connecting material 56, such as a solder, an electrically conductive adhesive, or an electrically conductive paste.
Another type of the typical multilayer ceramic capacitor has the structure as shown in FIG. 6. In this structure, outer terminals 55 are connected to an electronic element 64 (stacked element) formed by stacking multiple ceramic electronic elements 54. A connecting material 56, similar to that used in the above type (such as a solder, an electrically conductive adhesive, or an electrically conductive paste) is used to connect the outer terminals 55 to the ceramic electronic elements 54. Outer electrodes 53 are formed on the electronic component element 64 so as to be electrically connected to inner electrodes 52 arranged in a ceramic 51.
The components described above, however, have certain drawbacks. For example, the terminal-mounted multilayer ceramic capacitor shown in FIG. 5 exhibits insufficient strength to withstand certain levels of substrate deflection. A substrate-deflection testing was performed in accordance with requirements stipulated in Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS). The test was performed on the capacitor in a condition where the outer terminals 55 were connected to a printed circuit board 57. During which test, depending on a thickness t of the outer terminal 5, an elevation height H (distance in which each of the outer terminal 55 extends from a lower surface of the ceramic electronic element 54), and a length L of the ceramic electronic element 54, the strength of the structure is found to be insufficient to withstand a specified substrate deflection. At times, cracks C were created at portions near individual lower end surfaces of the end surfaces to which the outer terminals 55 are connected (force-exerted points).
The above problem is particularly problematic in large ceramic electronic components. In large components, since a distance L between the outer terminals (interterminal distance) is proportionally long, cracks are likely to occur, i.e., damage is likely to result. These problems can also arise with the stacked type of the ceramic electronic component shown in FIG. 6.